Corrugated container and method of producing same



Nov. 13, 1962 W. H. BRONTE ETAL CORRUGATED CONTAINER AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed July 26, 1960 /4 4/ 1a r I I r 39 I I 20 M W .22 V? I 29. Q I if F26 F27 P v Fig.2.

INVENTORS W/LL/AM H. BRONTE a! 5734/1 45) E. LINGENFEL 7E1? MZAMQIFW States This invention generally relates to the art of fabricating containers, and is more particularly directed towards a corrugated type of container and the method of producing the same.

It is generally conventional procedure to utilize corrugated containers or cartons for the packaging of such articles as canned foodstuifs and the like, but heretofore the use of corrugated cartons for containing relatively large masses of material has not been adopted due to the fact that the weight of a large number of packaged articles imposes forces on the bottom and side walls of the container which conventional corrugated paper containers cannot withstand. This is true even where the thickness of the containers has been substantially increased over that used for more conventionally sized containers.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing corrugated side Walls which are extremely strong and possess structural strengths far beyond that found in conventionally designed corrugated paper cartons.

1 Another object of the invention is to provide a corrugated carton formed of double faced corrugated paperboard and possessing superior strength to that found in conventional cartons whereby large size bulk containers may be provided without danger of collapsing or rupture when filled with a product.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a corrugated container of the character described and a method of constructing such a container in which the container walls are laminated to provide normally related corrugations to produce a stronger unit than that possible with the corrugations running in a single direction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a corrugated container of the character described which may be used for the bulk shipment of such articles as fresh produce and fruit for delivery to a cannery or the like and .which may be readily collapsed into flat condition for storage and shipment.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the inventionwhich is illustrated in the drawing accom panying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted Within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing: I

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a container constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a blank of corrugated atent Patented Nov. 13, 1962 As hereinabove set forth, the container and method of the present invention are designed to provide a large bulk container which can withstand severe pressure and weight loads without collapsing or suffering structural failure. In order to best describe the container it is believed desirable to first discuss the principle by which the container is able to achieve the desired strength characteristics. Normally, corrugated paper containers are formed of a single thickness of such paper and with the corrugations comprising the various wall or flap members extending in a single direction. It has been found that irrespective of the wall thickness, such a construction does not substantially increase in strength with a corresponding increase in wall thickness. Accordingly, as a principal feature of the present invention, we have ascertained that by providing the walls with a two-ply laminated construction of corrugated paper, and with the corrugations in the respective plies extending at right angles to each other, the finished laminated unit will possess a far greater strength than with a corresponding single ply construction of the same or even greater thickness.

In accordance with the present invention, the carton is constructed of two blanks of corrugated paper of any desired thickness. The first of such blanks, indicated by the numeral 12 in FIGURE 2, will constitute the generally outer portion of the container, and is in the form of a rectangle with the corrugations 13 extending between the longitudinally extending edges 14 and 16. It will be noted that what might be termed as the lower portion of the blank is provided with a score or fold line 17, and additional score lines 18, 19 and 20' are provided and extend transversely of the blank so as to divide the latter into four equal segments or body panels 21, 22, 23 and 24 which constitute the side walls of the container. Sub; jacent the score line 17 and in alignment with the respective score lines 18, 19 and 20, the lower portion is cut or slitted as shown at 26, 27 and 28. It will be appreciated that by virtue of the foregoing construction, the entire blank may be folded about the lines 18, 1 9 and 20 so as to bring the opposing ends 29 and 31 of the blank into confronting adjacent relationship and provide an en.- closed rectangle'to define the carton. By virtue of the cuts 26, 27 and 28 and the fold line 17 there are defined bottom closure flap members 32, 33, 34 and 36 which will constitute the bottom of the container and which may be folded into horizontal overlapping relationship in a manner generally conventional in the art. In order to secure the wall portions 21, 22, 23 and 24 in their aforementioned normally related relationship to provide the container walls, the end wall 24 is provided with a relatively narrow extension or tab extending from one edge 14 of the blank to the fold line 17- so as to provide a flap 39 which, as indicated in FIGURE 1, can overlie the section 21 and be stapled thereto for retaining the four walls in position while still permitting collapsing of the container about the transverse fold lines 18 through 20. Intermediate the extension 39 and section 24 there is provided an additional fold line 41 so as to complete the mechanism of relative folding and unfolding of the unit.

As above explained, while a box constructed with the blank of FIGURE 2 would provide an open top receptacle with a bottom formed of the sections 32 through 36, all of the sidewall corrugations would be disposed in a single direction and thereby render the unit unsuitable for large volume or'heavy weight capacity. Accordingly, an additional blank 41 is utilized which as will be presently explained is adapted to be superimposed upon the blank 12 and secured thereto but with the corrugations 42 thereof extending normally to the corrugations 13. The blank 41 will comprise the inner lamination of the container and is formed of generally rectangular shape having longitudinally extending edges 43 and 44 and end edges 46 and 47. The length of the unit, that is, the distance between the ends 46 and 47, corresponds substantially to the distance between the end walls 29 and 31 of the blank 12, and the distance between the edges 43 and 44 is in excess of the distance between the fold line '17 and the edge 14 of the blank 12 for a purpose presently to be explained. It will be noted that as in the case of blank 12 three transverse fold lines 48, 49 and 51 are provided so that four wall segments or sections 52, 53, 54 and 56 are provided, with such sections adapted to be generally coextensive and overlie the sections 21 through 24 respectively. A longitudinally extending fold line 57 is spaced from the edge 44 at the same distance that fold line 17 of the blank 12 isspaced from the edge 14 of such blank. In other words, the effective height of the container is determined by thedistance between fold line '17 and edge 14 and since the blank 41 is adapted to be inserted or be disposed within the blank 12 the lower edge 44 will be disposed immediately adjacent the fold line 17' and the fold line 57 will appear at the upper edge of the container as defined by the edge 14 of blank 12. The portion 61 which extends above the fold line 57 on the blank 41 is cut or slit as indicated at 62, 63 and '64, such cutting being in alignment with the fold lines 48, 49 and 51, so that upon lamination, slitted segment portions or reinforcing flaps for the upper marginal portion of the container 66, 67, 68 and 69 may be folded downwardly over the outermost lamination formed from blank 12 and stapled or otherwise secured thereto so that in the area of the overlap, there will actually be three plies of material. By the same token, the portions 66 through 69 form a reinforcing for the upper edge of the container and prevent the exposed corrugations from ptherwise appearing at the top edge of the container. As shown in FIGURE 1, the extensions 66 through 69 are stapled as shown at 71 'to the subjacent laminations in the same manner as staples 72 may be utilized to secure the flap extension 39 in .place.

With the blanks as formed in FIGURES! and 3, the same may be adhesively secured together as shown in FIGURE 4 to provide the cross laminated construction hereinabove described. With the two blanks thus seeured together the laminated structure may be folded about the transverse fold and cut lines, the flap 39 stapled into position, and the top reinforcements 66 through 69 folded over the sections 21 through 24, and the bottom flaps 32 through 36 folded normally to the wall sections :to define the carton bottom. If desired, the bottom flaps 32 through 36 may be stapled or adhesively secured to- 'gether, but in order to permit fiat stacking and shipment of the containers it is preferable to have the bottom flaps loose and merely folded inwardly upon use of the cartons. It has been found in practice that when the bottom is not secured, the flaps will remain in their horizontal operative position due to the Weight of material within thecarton and no necessity is present for having the bottom flaps secured. Obviously, it would not be possible to lift up the box by engaging the top or-side walls thereof with a load in the carton if the bottom-flaps are not secured, but in practice, usually a pallet fork lift or other mechanisrn will be used and the box in its filled condition will remain on a generally horizontal supporting surface so that the flaps cannot move outwardly to the position shown in FIGURES of the drawing. However, it is equally clear that by having the flaps loose they may be extended as shown in FIGURE and the entire container collapsed about the otherwise transverse fold lines .to assume the position shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawing.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that 'while the container of the instant invention is extremely simple in construction and does not require the use of any equipment not found in conventional corrugated paper manufacturing plants, a highly efiicient and structurally strong container is provided by means of the teachings of the present invention. Obviously, while the container shown in its present embodiment is square in cross section, the same could be formed of other cross sectional shapes including cylindrical, polygonal, rectangular, etc. However, irrespective of the particular form in which the container is constructed, by utilizing the cross corrugated laminated principle, the desired objectives of the container are met.

What is claimed is:

l. A large size double faced corrugated paperboard container for holding large masses of material of heavy weight and being resistant to bursting, collapsing and/or rupturing when filled, comprising two'telescoped inner and outer sections, each section composed of at least four connected together substantially similar body panels, the dimensions of said panels comprising the said sections being such as to allow for the telescoping of the outer section over the inner section, the body panels of the respective inner and outer sections being permanently adhesively secured together in their telescoped condition, each body panel of the inner section having integral reinforcing fiaps at their upper ends of substantially the same width of the body panels to which they are attached and relatively short in length as regards the body panels and being folded against adjacent upper horizontal exterior portions of the outer section and permanently secured thereto, thus reinforcing the "upper marginal portion of the container, the corrugations of one section of the container being disposed at substantially right angles to the corrugations of the other section of the container, and bottom inturned closure flaps each integral with a respective body panel of the outer section forming a closure for the container.

2. A large corrugated paperboard container for bolding masses of material of heavy weight without danger of collapsing and rupturing'when filled comprising four substantially similar inner side walls being of substantially the same dimensions as said inner side walls and being superimposed over the outer surface of said inner side walls and adhesively secured thereto throughout their entire area, integral reinforcing flaps on the upper end of said inner side walls of substantially the same width as said'inner side walls, and relatively short in length with respect to said inner side walls, said reinforcing flaps extending outwardly and downwardly over the upper horizontal portion of said outer side walls and-secured thereto to strengthen the container, said inner and outer side walls being corrugated substantially throughout their entire area with the corrugations in said inner side walls being disposed at right angles to the corrugations in said outer side walls, and bottom inturned closure flaps connected to each of said outer side walls for forming a "bottom for said container. 7

3. The container of claim 2 wherein the corrugations in said inner side walls "extend transversely thereof-and the corrugations in said outer side walls extend longitudinally thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

